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With a 47 acre campus 12 blocks from the Willamette River, Portland State has a big impact on water quality. PSU was officially recognized as the nation's first "Salmon-Safe" university campus in 2006. During the past two years of certification, PSU has eliminated harmful chemicals from groundskeeping, reduced water use for landscaping, and improved stormwater quality.
The certification was earned after a comprehensive assessment of campus operations and facilities. The PSU Sustainability Office just completed the annual report for the second year to verify that the campus is continuing to increase environmentally sustainable practices.
The Salmon-Safe organization certifies ecologically sustainable land management practices that protect agricultural and urban watersheds so that native salmon can spawn and thrive. A team of experts in salmon habitat and restoration, integrated pest management, and storm water treatment met with University officials to assess Portland State’s policies and practices. While PSU initially met many of the standards, recommendations included the development of a water conservation plan and improved irrigation system, transitioning from “high-risk” and synthetic fertilizers, and continued progress toward meeting its storm water management plan objectives.
Corporate campus certification is the latest offering from Salmon-Safe, which has been certifying agricultural and urban land since 1996 as a powerful means to encourage management practices that protect and restore salmon habitat. Nike’s 175-acre world headquarters campus became Salmon-Safe certified last year, Kettle Foods 7-acre Salem campus was awarded certification in May, and in July Toyota Logistics Services’ Vehicle Distribution Center, an 86-acre property that borders the Willamette River at the Port of Portland’s Terminal 4, became the first Salmon-Safe industrial site.
Salmon-Safe certifies ecologically sustainable land management practices that protect agricultural and urban watersheds so that native salmon can spawn and thrive. Since 1996, more than 40,000 acres of farmland have become Salmon-Safe certified, including 85 vineyards that represent a third of Oregon’s total vineyard acreage. Other Salmon-Safe farms’ products range from hazelnuts to fruits and vegetables, herbal medicinals, bison meat, grass seed, and cut flowers. Find out more at www.salmonsafe.org.
To learn more about PSU's Salmon-Safe practices, take the Self-Guided Sustainability Tour.
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Campus Infrastructure, Grounds & Planning 
